Close
Log On User Log On

Glen Cary Lutheran Church Glen Cary Lutheran Church

Weekly Updates_July 2011 Weekly Updates_July 2011

Updates for Week Ending July 8, 2011

 

 

Just a thought...

I can't believe it is July already! Where has the the time gone. While reflecting on the recent 4th of July holiday and the history behind the holiday, I made a natural connection to FPAC and our mission of helping families regain their independence. Gaining independence as a nation was a pretty big accomplishment and it is often celebrated by reflecting on the sacrafices made by many, spending time with the people closest to you, sharing good food and watching the bright lights from the fireworks fill the sky. While the independence that families gain during their time at FPAC may not be marked by the same traditions, it is definitely celebrated. From tears of joy to quiet moments of reflection, FPAC is creating historic moments everytime a family successfully transitions into a life of independence and self sufficiency. Thank you for being a part of our history and may every day bring us closer to the 4th of July!

Another Successful Host Week
As we wrap up week 27 of 2011, we send a big THANK YOU to Len & Mary Powell and all of the volunteers from Epiphany Catholic Church-Coon Rapids. This was a pretty quiet week with two families leaving during the week, but nonetheless, the program was operating in full swing. Hosting FPAC over a summer holiday can be tough, but Epiphany's volunteers still came through. One family of volunteers decided to celebrate the holiday by bringing their planned family cookout to Epiphany. They fired up the grill, ate delicious food and shared great company. Next week: Salvation Army & Community Methodist.

on another note...
There is a lot of time, thought, planning and preparation that goes into hosting FPAC guest families. Every congregation and every coordinator works very hard to make their church a safe haven for families that are experiencing a crisis. And no matter how hard you try, no single week will ever be perfect...and that's okay. Sometimes it may be a struggle recruiting volunteers, maybe the dinner meal was late and other times children may be left unsupervised; but you are still offering hope to a parent or a child that may have lost signs of hope. There are so many things to consider when hosting FPAC. My goal as the Director is to make sure that you have the tools and support you need to provide the best possible week at your church. To continue to build on lessons learned and experiences gained, I am asking each coordinator to send a brief summary after your host week of the highlights, the lowlights and everything in between. This will allow me to share the information with other coordinators and continue to make FPAC the best emergency shelter for families experiencing homelessness.

Are you still waiting to join us on FACEBOOK?
Let’s face it, social media is all the rage and we want to get in on the action. FPAC has a Facebook page with 86 friends and we want more. First, we would like 150 friends by the end of July. Second, we would like for you to share your thoughts and personal experiences with FPAC on our Facebook page. Third, we will have at least one new post per week. So, if you like to be “in the know” or you just want to remain connected to FPAC when you are not hosting stop by our Facebook page and join us!

Speaker's Bureau update
This Sunday, I will stop by the morning worship service at Faith Lutheran and share a brief Thank You to the congregation for being a part of FPAC. We would like to personally thank each congregation for being a part of our shelter network. If you haven't inquired about this opportunity, please contact Sue Baysden, FPAC Congregation Relations Chair, to secure a speaker. Sue's email address is suebaysden@aol.com. This would also be a great recruitment tool to encourage other members to volunteer with FPAC.

until next week,

-Junita 

 

SAVE THE DATE
WHAT: TPC ROSE Group 2nd Annual Women's Golf Tournament
WHERE:Tournament Players Club of the Twin Cities, Blaine
WHEN: Tuesday, August 16, 2011
All proceeds from the TPC ROSE Group Golf Tournament will benefit FPAC. For more information, please call 763-795-0800.

 

upcoming dates:

August 15, 2011; 6-8p Volunteer Training
August 16, 2011 TPC ROSE Women's Golf Invitational
September 5, 2011 FPAC 1 yr anniversary 

Contact Us

Family Promise of Anoka County

10341 Ibis Street NW

Coon Rapids, MN 55433 

 

 

Update for Week Ending July 22

 

GOLFERS WANTED
2nd Annual TPC ROSE Women’s Golf Invitational
Tuesday, August 16th, 2011
7:00 Registration 8:00 Shotgun Start
12:30 Buffet Lunch & Shopping Expo
BRIDGE PLAYERS WANTED
Bridge information posted soon.
PROCEEDS WILL BENEFIT FAMILY PROMISE OF ANOKA COUNTY 
ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL HOST WEEK
It has been a great couple of weeks in the FPAC network. Last week, Ron Buechner from the Salvation Army and Mary Tholkes from Community Methodist, in partnership with their congregation volunteers collaborated to host a successful week for the FPAC guest families. One of the best conveniences of their host week is that they are next door and it is very easy for families to walk over to the Salvation Army at the end of the day. Last Saturday morning, everyone enjoyed a relaxing Saturday morning by sleeping in and then sitting down to enjoy a fabulous hot breakfast. Thanks Ron, Mary and your dedicated volunteers. I am also grateful for the hard work that Michelle Bender, Jill Discher and their team of volunteers from Constance Free have committed to hosting FPAC this week. So far so good. Some of the highlights of this week are movie options every night and a variety of outside games. I overheard one of the parents tell a new guest family "I really love this church. They spoil us there!" So thank you for making this week a very hospitable week. Your kindness definitely shows.

 WELCOME NEW HOST CONGREGATIONS
A great big welcome to Andover Christian Church and Oak Haven Church. They have officially joined FPAC as host congregation. Although each congregation has agreed to host FPAC in their facility, they will each host twice a year and work together on their host weeks. Thank you to Jeannie Hellman at Grace Lutheran Church for working with our new host congregations and giving them the "inside scoop" on being a host congregation. I am very excited to welcome them into the FPAC network.

LUNCHEON, BRIDGE, GOLF...oh my!
Have you registered to play in the TPC ROSE Group's 2nd Annual Women's Golf Invitational? Have you thought about getting together with fellow bridge players? Are you planning on attending the TPC ROSE Group Luncheon? These events are sure to be a great opportunity to have fun and support a worthy cause...Family Promise of Anoka County. August 16, 2011 is the date, TPC-Blaine is the place. For more information, please call 763-795-0800.

SPEAKER'S BUREAU
FPAC now has a great group of speakers that are committed to educating the community about our agency and the impact that we have on this community. Last week, Sue Dergantz and Deb McPeck spoke during all weekend services at Grace Lutheran Church in Andover and the presentation was well received by church administrators. Also, Sandy Forrest, Gayle Pacholl and Sue Dergantz represented FPAC at the Anoka County Sheriff's Department annual Nite to Unite Community event. The sheriff's department was thrilled that FPAC was a part of this event and over 1400 community members came out to the event in spite of the extreme heat & humidity. We are still looking for additional opportunities to share the FPAC story. If you know of any organization, group, business or congregation that is interested in learning more about FPAC, please have them contact Sue Baysden at suebaysden@aol.com.

FACEBOOK
Have you stopped by our Facebook page yet? Connecting with us on Facebook is a great opportunity to stay connected with us and share our story with your other social networks. At Family Promise, we think its cool to be LIKED...so join us already.

IMPORTANT DATES
Volunteer Training-Monday, August 15, 2011 at 6:00p-8:00p; Salvation Army 

 

 

Update for Week Ending July 30

 

 

ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL HOST WEEK
What a great week coordinated by Sarah Jane, Libbie and their team of volunteers from Faith Lutheran. We started the week with three families and by Wednesday we were full. Our last minute addition of a family of four required a lot of quick thinking for the volunteers at Faith, but thank you so much for your flexibility! The families loved the homemade pizza and all of the outdoor games and the late start and warm breakfast on Saturday. Thanks so much for all you do to support FPAC. Your leadership and team work is appreciated. This week: Grace Lutheran Church-Andover.

 FPAC INTERN
For the month of August, FPAC is excited to have an intern joining us in our program and services. Jackie is a senior at Bethel University working on a BA in Community/Public Health. She will be with us almost full time for the entire month, spending Tuesday-Friday in the office and Monday evenings, she will be on site at each host congregation. Please join me in welcoming Jackie to our team for the month.

WHAT'S GREEN, EATS INSECTS AND SAYS...RIBBIT?
The correct answer would be a frog. But I recently met a group of FROGS that would never fit that description. This group of FROGS, Faith Retired Old Geezers In Service, is a group of men that are all about serving the community. This week the FROGS came to the day center and lended a helping hand in so many ways. First, they repaired the latch on the safety gate at the top of the stairs in the day center, then they worked to repair a malfuntioning electrical socket in the family room of the day center and completely repaired a drainage problem in the basement laundry room. The cost to FPAC...absolutely nothing. I am so grateful for the kindness and service that the FROGS have given to FPAC. As far as I'm concerned, these FROGS are always welcome in the FPAC pond.

LUNCHEON, BRIDGE, GOLF...oh my!
Have you registered to play in the TPC ROSE Group's 2nd Annual Women's Golf Invitational? Have you thought about getting together with fellow bridge players? Are you planning on attending the TPC ROSE Group Luncheon? These events are sure to be a great opportunity to have fun and support a worthy cause...Family Promise of Anoka County. August 16, 2011 is the date, TPC-Blaine is the place. For more information, please call 763-795-0800.

SPEAKER'S BUREAU
We are still looking for additional opportunities to share the FPAC story. If you know of any organization, group, business or congregation that is interested in learning more about FPAC, please have them contact Sue Baysden at suebaysden@aol.com.

FACEBOOK
Have you stopped by our Facebook page yet? Connecting with us on Facebook is a great opportunity to stay connected with us and share our story with your other social networks. At Family Promise, we think its cool to be LIKED...so join us already.

IMPORTANT DATES
Volunteer Training-Monday, August 15, 2011 at 6:00p-8:00p; Salvation Army